Pipe-support.



W. B. GRAY.

PIPE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1914.

1,133,855. Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

WITNESSES f INVENTOR' 2 6 c (5 W M 5 1 A TTORNEVS UNITED STATES PATENT@FFICE.

WILLIAM IBEALL GRAY, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOB. TO MARTIN J.BANNON,

, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

PIPE-SUPPORT. 7

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented M 30, 19151 Application filed.July 15, 1914. Serial No. 851,222.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. GRAY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Louisville, in the county of J eiferson and State ofKentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pipe Supports,of which the following is a spec fication.

My invention is an improvement 1n p pe supports, and has for its objectto provide a device of the character speclfied, adapted to carry acertain character of pipe used 1n heating systems, or for other purposeswherein the pipe is subject to expansion and contraction.

In the drawings :Figure 1 1s a perspective view of the cradle and thesupporting roller, Fig. 2 is a partial transverse vertlcal section, andFig. 3 is a side view of the support with the pipe in place.

The present embodiment of the invention comprises a cradle consisting ofa plate 1 of suitable material, having on its upper face upstandinglongitudinally extending ribs 2, the said ribs having their upper edgesprovided with rack teeth. 3. The ribs are connected at their ends bytransverse ribs 1, the ribs 4 being integral wlth the ribs 2, and eachof the ribs 4 is braced against the plate 1 at each end, by integralbraces 5.

The ribs 2 are spaced apart inwardly from the side edges of the plate 1,and the teeth 3 extend from near one end of each rib 2 to near theother, leaving however, a blank or plain space at each end at thejunction of the rib with the adjacent rib 4. At each end and at eachside of its-under face the plate 1 is provided with a transverse fingeror boss 6, for engaging pockets in the supporting ribs of the conduitsforming the subject-matter of my copending applications, Serial No.723,206, filed Sept. 30, 1912, Serial No. 782,661, filed August 2, 1918,Serial No. 784,129, filed August 11, 1913, and Serial No. 786,110, filedAugust 22, 1913.

Transverse reinforcing ribs 7 are also provided, extending between thefingers at each end of the plate, and connecting the said fingers, theribs 7 extending below the lowest portions of the fingers 6, but beingof less width as shown more particularly in Fig. 4. The fingers at eachend of the plate 1 are in alinement, and each rib 7 is integral at itsends with the adjacent fingers 6.

The pipe 8 provided with the usual insulating cover 9 is supported by aspool or roller, the said spool or roller 10 being grooved peripherallyas indicated at 11 to fit the insulating covering 9 of the pipe or tofit the pipe where no insulating covering is used. The spool or rolleris also provided at each end with a spur gear or gear wheel 12, forengaging the adjacent series of rack teeth, and the roller is of suchlength that it will just fit within the ribs 2, with the gears orpinions 12 in engagement with the teeth.

It will be noted from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2, that the groovedsurface 11 of the roller does not extend to the end of the roller, butleaves a plain surface at each end, between the groove 11 and the pinionor gear 12. The cradles are arranged in the conduits with the fingers 6in engagement with the notches or recesses in the supporting ribs of theconduit, and the engagement of the fingers with the said notches orrecesses anchors the cradle in this position, against movementlongitudinally of the conduit, and also against twisting movement.

The ends of the spool or roller by their engagement with the inner facesof the ribs 2 prevent any shifting movement of the roller with respectto the cradle, and the spur gears 12 assist in this function. As manyspools or rollers are used as may be necessary to properly support thepipe, and it will be obvious that for every spool or roller a cradle isnecessary.

The pinions bytheir engagement with the rack teeth 3 insure that theroller will not shift angularly but will hold its exact transverseposition with respect to the cradle, and the engagement between thespool and the cradle is such that Whatever the expanding or contractingmovement of the pipe, the parts will always occupy a certain definiteposition with respect to each other.

The bottom of the cradle plate 1 is the supporting means, the plateresting on the conduit ribs and the finger bosses acting merely asanchorages and not as support and anchorage combined as in the case ofmy copending applications.

I claim 1. A pipe support, comprising a cradle consisting of a plateprovided on its upper face near each side edge and near each end with anupstanding rib, said ribs being inrack teeth at their upper edges, theteeth'of ile the ribs registering, and a ro'ller having a peripheralgroove for receiving the pipe to be supported, and fitting between theside ribs, and having a pinion at each end the engaging the adjacentseries of teeth, the

pinions being of equal size and of less diameter than the largestdiameter of the roller and co-axial with the roller to form at each endof the roller an annular shoulder for engaging the inner face of theadjacent rib to prevent longitudinal movement of the roller, said cradlehaving on the under face of the plate pairs of fingers, each pair offingers being near one end of the plateand being in alinelnenttransversely of the plate, said fingers being near the side edges oftheplate and adapted to anchor the plate from movement longitudinally.

2. A pipe support comprising a cradle came: o1 this 'iiatent may beebtained for five cents eachpb y az'idressing the CommissionerWashington, D. 0."

consisting ofa plate provided on its upper face near each slde edge andnear each end With an upstanding rib, said ribs' bei'ng'in tegral attheir ends, andthe side ribs'having rack teeth at'their upper edges, theteeth of th'e'ribs registering and a roller having a peripheral groovetor receiving the pipe to besupp'orted, and fitting between the sideribs, and having, a pinion at each end for engaging the adjacent seriesof teeth, the

pinions being of equal size and of less diam- V to prevent longitudinalmovement of the roller. o

WILLIAM Witnesses J. L, RANEY, V K I HY M. WOLTRING.

'B A'L GRAY.

a: Patents i V

